Nadal won in doubles on Tuesday with partner Juan Monaco, but the singles debut was a bigger test for the Spaniard and his injured left knee, which kept him away from the competitive game since June 28.

The seven-time French Open champion said Tuesday he's tired of answering questions about his knee and must adjust to playing with the pain. Nadal has not had surgery and is undergoing therapy and playing with a bandage.

He's acknowledged he's less than 100 percent, and his coach and uncle Toni Nadal has said doctors expect him to have to play with discomfort.

Nadal won only one point in the first two games, but bounced back after being pushed.

"The beginning was tough and Federico played at a very high level," Nadal said. "I ran a lot and I'm happy because the knee held up well."

After falling behind 2-0, Nadal broke back in the fourth game to tie it 2-2, racing to chase down several shots in a long rally and showing no fear of injury. He was in control after that, wrapping up the set in 47 minutes.

Nadal breezed through the second, cheered on by a sellout crowd of 4,500. The temporary stadium for the tournament was increased by 1,200 seats for fans to see one of the sport's biggest stars, who has never played in Chile.

Nadal has fallen behind his main rivals in the game — Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray — and now must focus on winning his eighth French Open, which starts in late May. Nadal will turn 27 during the tournament and has been the game's most dominant player on clay.

Nadal is lowering expectations for this event, and the two tournaments on clay that follow in San Paulo, Brazil, and Acapulco, Mexico.

"If one day it (the knee) is worse, and one can't compete at 100 percent, then it can't be done," he said Tuesday.

Nadal has said what he needs most is playing time. He practiced for an hour Wednesday before his singles victory.

Nadal plays doubles again on Thursday with Juan Monaco against the pair of Guillaume Rufin and Flippo Volandri.

Nieminen defeats Davydenko

MONTPELLIER, France (AP) — Jarkko Nieminen of Finland beat fifth-seeded Nikolay Davydenko 6-3, 7-6 (10-8) in the second round of the Open Sud de France on Wednesday, defeating the Russian for the first time in 10 years and reaching his second quarterfinal of the season.

Davydenko had won their previous four matches, with Nieminen's last win coming on clay at the Rome Masters in 2003. Nieminen broke Davydenko's serve three times in the match, and will next face either Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine or Japan's Tatsuma Ito.

Benneteau plays another Romanian, Victor Hanescu, in the second round.

"He's the same style of player, but much more dangerous," Benneteau said of Hanescu. "I have to read his serve well as I think I returned quite softly today. I will need to improve that because it will be another level tomorrow."

Ito defeated Edouard Roger-Vasselin of France, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 7-5 to reach the second round, while Michael Llodra beat Kenny De Schepper 6-3, 6-3 in an all-French match to set up a meeting with second-seeded Janko Tipsarevic.

Kamke converted his second set point in the tiebreaker to take the lead, but could not keep up the pressure. Baghdatis won all 29 points on his first serve in the second and third sets.

"I did not expect him to play so good, I was a bit surprised," said Baghdatis, who was the 2007 champion here. "He was very aggressive ... I needed time to adjust."

Robin Haase of the Netherlands also came back from one set down to defeat Croatian wild card Antonio Veic 2-6, 6-3, 6-3. Flavio Cipolla made it to the second round after Lukas Lacko of Slovakia — who reached the final in Zagreb last year — retired at 1-1 in the first set because of a back injury.